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Saline Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems:Saline Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems:A look at some West Coast habitats and organisms A look at some West Coast habitats and organisms

October 2013

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Salt lakes, sabkhas and dolinesSalt lakes, sabkhas and dolines

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Doline:Doline:The WhirlpoolThe Whirlpool

Thank you to Sharie Detmar at DEWNR for the use of these photographs

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Salt lake:Salt lake:Seagull LakeSeagull Lake

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Current hydrology & geomorphologyCurrent hydrology & geomorphology

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Sabkha:Sabkha:Yanerbie WetlandsYanerbie Wetlands

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Sabkha hydrologySabkha hydrology

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An introduction to An introduction to some specific some specific inhabitants of inhabitants of

dolines, salt lakes and dolines, salt lakes and sabkhassabkhas

9BMC’sBMC’s

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Beach rock seepage communitiesBeach rock seepage communities

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Tecticornia flabelliformis Tecticornia flabelliformis (fan or (fan or bead samphire)bead samphire)

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What is the What is the T. flabelliformis T. flabelliformis niche?niche?

• Soil type• Soil moisture• Soil salinity• pH and gypsum tolerance

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Meet Meet Coxiella glauerti Coxiella glauerti (resurrection snail)(resurrection snail)

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A unique behavioural response to aridityA unique behavioural response to aridity

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A small diversion on the topic of rarityA small diversion on the topic of rarityRarity per se does not relate to threatening processes. “Rare” may mean a naturally tiny population, or it may mean a large population in a small and very specific habitat.

By definition, plants with small populations or narrow distributions are more vulnerable to threatening processes and so in Australia we classify plants as:

Rare: a taxon which is rare within Australia but not facing any identifiable threatEndangered: a taxon in serious risk of disappearing in the wild within 10-20 yearsVulnerable: a taxon not presently endangered but at risk over 20-50 years

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Threats to GDE’s and speciesThreats to GDE’s and species

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Hydrological disturbance…Hydrological disturbance…

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Interruptions…Interruptions…

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Sea level rise…Sea level rise…

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Other threatsOther threats

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What is being done to improve things?What is being done to improve things?• One-on-one talks with West Coast Councils about the

vulnerability of these habitats and possible other sources of saline water for road building (tourists need good roads)

• Workshops with West Coast people to help them • Recognise different samphire species• Recognise saline GDE’s and value them• Develop monitoring programs for vulnerable

habitats• Inclusion of the West Coast marine-influenced GDE’s

into the new Temperate Saltmarsh Ecological Community that has recently been granted EPBC Act protection

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Thank you!Thank you!